NKOS – From Dust To Life CS (Beatbuzz Records)

One of the special treats on the menu today is a highly anticipated debut material by a promising electronic group. Their music spans over several diverse but complementary genres that keep this outstanding material entertaining from scratch to finish. NKOS are a brand new name on an underground music scene with just several singles in their back catalog, but believe me, these singles are shockingly good. Recently, the group released a debut full-length material called From Dust To Life, which comes on very limited cassette and over streaming services. This material contains Lonely Ghost-Self and Can’t Wait, two of four previously released singles. Other than these two, the album carries six brand new compositions that will immediately knock your socks off if you’re profoundly into perfectly executed electronic music.

From Dust To Life differs from other recordings presented nowadays, mainly because NKOS are not playing on a safe card and exploring commercial music like most contemporaries. Perhaps their sound leans towards electronica, but they are unquestionably aiming for the darkened industrial sound. Besides the predominant presence of contemporary electronic music, you may hear some other ingredients, such as post-punk, darkwave, coldwave, synthwave, leftfield, industrial, trip-hop, and some other similar subgenres. NKOS incorporate generous servings of all these elements but also leave enough room for the compositions to breathe. One of the best features of this band is their admiration for dark pop/goth-pop sound, which goes hand in hand with the aesthetics of this material.

NKOS undoubtfully levitate between retro and modern electronic music throughout the entire recording, mainly because of their love for post-punk/coldwave/darkwave/synthwave on one side and trip-hop/electronic pop/contemporary dark pop on the other. From Dust To Life contains flawlessly produced beats, post-apocalyptic ambiances, melancholic melodies, grimy builds, massive basslines, energetic accentuations, and other sonic maneuvers that are the principal characteristics of electronic music. NKOS are trying to illustrate dystopian, post-apocalyptic, sci-fi imagery through cleverly arranged compositions. Both female and male vocals are liberating another layer of melodies over an already polyphonic sound, but their chants are not overwhelming the entire mix. Quite the contrary, their melodic chants and shoutouts are delivering even more energy to these tunes. Head over to their Bandcamp page or Beatbuzz Records for more detailed information about ordering a limited edition cassette. Also, check out Spotify, Bandcamp, Soundcloud, or YouTube if you’re more into digital streaming.